Cuba lawmakers meet to choose Raúl Castro's successor

President Raúl Castro, who took over as Cuba's president from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006, will step down at the meeting. The president of the National Candidacy Committee will then read out the proposed candidates for the 31-member Council of State, including the council's president, first vice-president, its five vice-presidents and its secretary. Whoever is chosen by the National Assembly in its two-day session will be Cuba's new president, yes. There have been no official statements made to indicate that he will succeed President Castro. Yes, eight million Cubans turned out to vote for members of the National Assembly in March, and those lawmakers will choose the president.